Blaze hits Shrewsbury Street home

A smoky fire that originated in the basement of a hoe at 271 Shrewsbury Street in Holden has left two residents homeless – but safe -- after the family pet alerted them to a fire. That pet, a cat named Harley, didn’t survive the fire.
The renters of the home across the street from Mountview Middle School took shelter at a neighbor’s home to await the Red Cross while firefighters from Holden, West Boylston, Sterling and Rutland put out hot spots. Crews from Paxton and Worcester covered Holden’s stations during the fire.
The residents were alerted to the fire in the basement by the mewing of their cat just after noon on Sunday. The block of Shrewsbury Street from Doyle Road to Birchwood Drive was closed for about two hours while crews fought the fire.
Due to weather conditions, Holden Police Chief Jack Chandler said the smoke was kept low and was so thick at street level that fire department personnel couldn’t see up the street when they arrived to fight the fire.
The residents escaped without injury; no firefighters were hurt fighting the blaze.
The State Fire Marshall is investigating. Chandler said he believes the fire started in embers from the fireplace.